The place and role of field studies in teaching medical sociology Cover Image

A terepmunka helye és szerepe az orvosi szociológia oktatásában
The place and role of field studies in teaching medical sociology

Author(s): Anna Susánszky, Éva Susánszky, Zsuzsa Győrffy, Zsuzsa Szántó
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Debreceni Egyetem Politikatudományi és Szociológiai Intézet
Keywords: medical sociology; teaching;field studies; hidden curriculum

Summary/Abstract: The goals of the subject of Medical sociology are to familiarize and explain therelationships between social environment and health. The theoretical and practical elements ofthe medical sociology education and the field studies that form a part of practical work servethese goals. During filed studies, we build on the previous knowledge and experience of thestudents. Method: The themes of the field studies change from semester to semester. From theseries of studies we picked three themes that were connected to and built on each other. Wepresent the role of field studies through their description and the explanation of our experiences.Results: Field studies add empirical skills and experience to the knowledge acquired during thetheoretical and practical training of medical sociology. The field study assignments also serve tostrengthen the effects of the “hidden curriculum”, the process of the indirect professionalsocialization at the medical school. Furthermore, the new knowledge and skills give the studentsa better understanding of the scientific literature helping them in the interpretation of statisticaland methodological aspects of biomedical results and concepts. Conclusion: Our experiencesshow that field studies are an efficient teaching method. Its most important outcome is sensitizingmedical students towards health related social problems and helping them to understand andhandle such problems.

  • Issue Year: 6/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 44-55
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Hungarian